How can we end homelessness for women?

We believe that we all have a role to play in ending homelessness for women, and that we can all work together to tackle the issues which lead to homelessness for women.

Breaking the cycle of abuse

One of the biggest causes of homelessness for women is domestic abuse and to end homelessness for women, we must end gender-based violence and abuse.

One in three women in Wales will experience domestic abuse and last year in South Wales an incident of domestic abuse was reported to the police every 15 minutes.

We must therefore work to raise awareness of domestic abuse and teach future generations about healthy relationships. Workshops in schools and community settings can build young people’s understanding of respectful relationships, challenge gender stereotypes and address abusive, coercive and controlling behaviours.

Too often, the impact of domestic abuse on children isn’t dealt with, increasing the likelihood of those children becoming victims or perpetrators of abuse in the future. Programmes like our You and Me, Mum programme must be developed to allow women who have experienced abuse to understand the impact it has had on them as a parent and its impact on their children.

It is only by changing attitudes and perceptions of future generations that we will end gender-based violence and abuse for good.

Early Intervention and Prevention

Providing support to vulnerable women at the earliest possible opportunity is crucial to ending homelessness for women. The longer someone spends in an abusive relationship or homeless, without support, the harder it is for them to engage with support and to move on positively with their lives. Whether working with midwives to identify women who are experiencing abuse or supporting women who have experienced historical abuse or violence to access mental health support, the earlier we support someone, the more able we are to prevent homelessness.

Suitable accommodation and support to live independently

We provide refuge accommodation for women and their children fleeing abusive relationships and then provide support to help women and their children to move on from refuge and integrate into their local communities and feel safe in their new homes. We can also help to arrange for pets to be fostered while they are in temporary accommodation, making sure that women can look after their pets again when they move into their own home.

We also provide small accommodation projects for women, helping them to feel that they have a home. At every project, we ensure that women are given more than a roof over their heads. We support them to manage their money, to feel safe, to build their resilience and confidence and to live independently and purposefully in their communities.

Ongoing support is crucial in ensuring that women continue to build resilience in their own homes. For many women, this might be the first time that they have managed a tenancy by themselves, and we must make sure that they are given the best chance possible to succeed.

Building Resilience and moving on from homelessness

For many of the women we support, their experiences have led to issues which are far more complex than a lack of permanent shelter. Simply providing a place to stay will not solve the issue of homelessness.

We support women in one-to-one settings or through group workshops, helping them to overcome the trauma they have experienced and deal with their experiences in a positive way in order to live happier, healthier, safer lives. This includes helping them and their children to understand the impact any abusive behaviour has had on the children, and ensuring that children are supported to move on from their experiences, whether they were victims of abuse themselves or witnesses to their parent’s abuse.